1. Q: When entering contracts, I am asked to choose a “contract class.” What are contract classes?
A: Contract classes are directly related to the areas of responsibility of your signing officer. Please verify what you have authority to sign, pursuant to delegations established by your signing officer. The contracts you are entering must match established delegations. If you are unsure about the contract classes to choose when entering a contract, please check the listings available on the secure site here.
2. Q: Which contracts require a second signature?
A: Contracts of a value greater than $1 million, except for research grant applications, require a second signature in addition to the signature of the signing officer. See sections 24 – 24.5 of the Policy.
The tool will ask you to indicate whether you’ve obtained a second signature for a contract and logs the second signatory for reporting purposes.
3. Q: When do I need to consult Legal Services about a contract?
A: Unless standard pre-approved forms of contracts are in place, review by Legal Services is mandatory for any contract of a value above $500 000 or, regardless of the value, in all instances where the contract presents a significant level of risk.
Please see section VIII of the Policy for more details.
4. Q: What is the difference between the Excel spreadsheet and the PDF document that I emailed to myself? Which one of these files is the report that gets submitted to the signing officer?
A: The Excel spreadsheet is a working document that you are able to send yourself for review as you enter contracts using the tool. The PDF document is the final report that you need to send to your signing officer to complete the reporting requirement.
5. Q: What happens after I submit the report to my signing officer?
A: Your signing officer is expected to review the report and sign-off.
6. Q: What happens if my report includes a non-compliant contract?
A: The non-compliant contract will be flagged in the report, for review by the signing officer. Please explain the nature of non-compliance in the space provided in the tool. The Secretary-General will submit an annual report to the Audit Committee on issues of non-compliance with the Policy.
7. Q: I submitted my report, but I realize now I need to make changes or edits. How do I access the report that I need to change?
A: If a delegate has already generated a report for the fiscal period selected, they will not be able to create a second report. Corrections to an existing report can be made by completing form Appendix D: Quarterly Report on the Exercise of Delegated Authority of the Signing Policy and submitting it to your Signing Officer.
8. Q: I don’t have a contract to submit for a given fiscal quarter. Do I still need to submit a report for each quarter?
A: Yes. The report you will submit to your signing officer will inform them that you have not signed any contracts for the reporting quarter.
9. Q: I have assigned temporary delegation / been assigned temporary delegation (e.g. in the event of an absence from the University). Do temporary delegates need to submit a report?
A: Yes. Pursuant to the Policy, temporary delegates are subject to same reporting requirements as delegates.
10. Q: I keep my own databases and reports of my contracts. Can I just submit a report based on my system?
A: No. The tool is designed to make this task easier for you. You are welcome to keep using your own system if you prefer, however only the reports available through the tool can be submitted officially.
11. Q: Can I attach a PDF of all my contracts and submit this file?
A: No, you must enter them individually in the tool.
12. Q: I need to permanently add or remove signing authority for a delegate in my unit. How do I do this?
A: Complete the appropriate portion of Appendix C of the Policy. Scan and send it to the Secretariat at signingpolicy.secretariat [at] mcgill.ca. The Secretariat will then work with IT to make sure that user access to the Minerva tool is added or removed as required.
13. Q: Can I assign a member of my team to enter contract data on my behalf?
A: Yes. As a delegate, you may choose to assign a member of your administrative or support team (such as an administrative assistant) to enter contracts in the reporting tool. Please note that any entry made by an assistant needs to be reviewed and validated by you as delegate. Assistants have limited permission and cannot submit reports to the signing officer.
If you wish to assign an assistant, please contact the Secretariat at: signingpolicy.secretariat [at] mcgill.ca
The Secretariat will coordinate with IT to make the necessary adjustments.
14. Q: I am submitting an application for research funding. Are there any additional reporting requirements to consider?
A: For more information on signature requirements specific to research funding, click here.